Letter to the editor: Barney Frank represents everything that AU hopes not to be
To the members of the AU community,
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To the members of the AU community,
The current immigration debate has succeeded in providing, to quote President Bush, a "comprehensive" look at its legal, cultural, and economic aspects. The problem is most of the solutions proposed are political, with Democrats doing everything to paint Conservatives as racist and some Republicans more concerned about the Hispanic vote than law enforcement. What it so ignored amongst the protest rallies, and allegations of racism is the need for simple law enforcement.
The Bush administration has been criticized by liberals for being, as New York Times columnist James Traub says, " the most extreme-the furthest from the center-of any governing majority in the nation's history." This characterization that President Bush is a conservative extremist is lost on paleoconservatives who question whether the President is conservative at all. Both sides have their ammunition. For those who insist he is an extreme conservative, they point to the largest tax cuts in U.S. history, the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, and his plan to privatize social security. And the other side insists that increasing spending in education, passing a 400 billion dollar Medicare entitlement, and presiding over the largest government expansion since LBJ makes President Bush anything but conservative. The truth of the matter is, George W. Bush is not conservative in the way we stereotype them as "small" government, hawkish, and traditional. Honestly, we shouldn't be surprised by this; he never made any secret of it. Even in his 2000 campaign he referred to himself as a "different kind of Republican." Truth be told, he is a different kind of conservative.
Perhaps the most hilarious statement to leave President Bush's mouth during his presidency was that he wanted to restore "honor and integrity" to the White House. With each passing day of the first term, Democrats sat idly by as George W. Bush threw honor and integrity to the wind in both domestic and foreign policy. Instead of calling Bush out on his desire for war with Iraq, regardless of evidence, we voted for it. And to those such as Howard Dean and Russ Feingold, who opposed the USA PATRIOT Act, we labeled them as extreme, and let the President betray the oath he took. Now it's the Republicans and George W. Bush in the fetal position.
To quote Sean Hannity, "In foreign policy poker, the United States plays with its cards face up." This has become a melancholy truth in light of the endless supply of intelligence leaks that spur debates about civil liberties instead of the national security that provides civil liberties. A balance between the two has to be struck, but those who are quick to criticize NSA wiretapping, the Patriot Act and Guantanamo Bay need to be equally quick in realizing that democracies are already at a disadvantage of fighting terror. Constitutionally liberal democracies allow for dissent and debate, which can turn decisive action into a mixed message debate. The result, which is dangerously potent regarding Guantanamo Bay, stacks the deck against us as well as showing our cards to the enemy.
In an election year, I'm always inclined to think about the Founders' hopes for the kinds of citizens that would fill our elected offices. When one studies the Founders, we discover what they really wanted in our leaders is usually a far cry from what we get. The founders wanted statesmen: people who looked beyond political pandering to our best virtues and stood firmly, yet prudently, by national principles in spite of any political opposition. The founders hoped that future generations of Americans would be blessed with a high degree of statesmanship that shared their caliber, along with a firm understanding of right and wrong.
The 2006 State of the Union address is meant to highlight our country at social, economic, and international crossroads. It does so in the same way in which it highlights the state of George W. Bush's presidency. After what many analysts would consider the least successful year of his presidency, it's appropriate that the President does a little soul-searching in his leadership style, and how to approach America's future. The 2006 State of the Union will go down as the speech where the President reflected that soul-search by effectively connecting the philosophy of moral, economic and international leadership that is "the only way to protect our people...secure the peace [and] control our destiny."
The Gay Marriage debate is currently at a stalemate. The lines have been drawn and sides have been taken, but the American voter is torn between an institution worth preserving, and laws that could, and perhaps should change. Yet the pundits and activists will have you believe there is no such thing as a "compromise." This is probably true for those who are motivated by hatred of homosexuals, or for those who don't understand the importance of traditional marriage. But those who feed off the culture war on both sides have got it wrong. Gay couples can achieve the social recognition that's central to their aims, and the institution of marriage can be secured if both camps can separate the laws that govern the "accidents" of marriage, and the institution of marriage itself.
Last Thursday while seeking the College Republican endorsement for an at-large seat in the undergraduate senate, I spoke about the importance of communicating both sides of an issue on our campus, something not as commonplace as it should be. We as the minority party on campus know why it's important for us to be organized and equipped with more activities to stay visible and have a fair voice on campus. However, this does not prevent the possibility of political and ideological bias that can occur in the classroom. I have only been here half a semester, and already it has happened to me.